


All Bark and No Bite

by visiohary



Series: WORK YOUR MAGIC [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Bisexual Remus Lupin, Canon, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Long, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Multi, Peter is a good friend until he becomes a slimy git, Post-Hogwarts, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, Requited Love, Series, Sirius Black is (unfortunately) heterosexual, Sirius Black is a Little Shit, Slow Burn, THIS IS THE FIRST PART OF A TRILOGY, Temporarily Unrequited Love, There is Snily but we don't support it, house bashing, long ass book, my characters are always confused, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:48:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29021487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/visiohary/pseuds/visiohary
Summary: FIRST INSTALLMENT OF #WORKYOURMAGIC SAGA⁽⁽ english is not my first language  ⁾⁾It was known that in those years no one was in charge of their own destiny, that everything depended on the type of blood they possessed and on the influences that revolved around them. Personal opinions did not matter, they were ready to be put away in the hidden corners of the mostly dark houses and second thoughts were not allowed, everything was supposed to follow its course and there was no room for unnecessary and easily avoidable bumps. Wizards and witches tried to live a normal life in the darkness that surrounded them, blinded by the glimpses of light that were immediately extinguished and too afraid to fully embrace their essence. It was true that hope did not harbor in those old souls who sought quietness, but it lied within young and fiery spirits that would've done anything to ignite the spark they were provided with. They wished to get away from the dark tones and throw themselves into the light.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Minor Characters/Reader, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/OC, Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: WORK YOUR MAGIC [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129058





	1. SUMMER 1969: For All We Know

**Author's Note:**

> !! This story follows the Marauders (plus some original characters) through their years at Hogwarts and beyond. This is a Sirius Black Fan Fiction, but it covers much more. You'll find extra warnings in the first part's notes.
> 
> EXTENDED SUMMARY: 
> 
> It was known that in those years no one was in charge of their own destiny, that everything depended on the type of blood they possessed and on the influences that revolved around them. Personal opinions did not matter, they were ready to be put away in the hidden corners of the mostly dark houses and second thoughts were not allowed, everything was supposed to follow its course and there was no room for unnecessary and easily avoidable bumps. There was no room for a mind like that of Violet Leslie Ritchie who, at only seven years old and with a small speech impediment, had even questioned her on the tip of a pencil, wondering why its stroke was not black or white instead of gray. She concluded that whoever invented the tool wanted the people to use it impartially. The colors would have the role to take parts, the pencil was only used to define whether the idea would result in dark or light shades. From then on the pastels would have thought to complete the work, those like night blue, black and purple would have settled for skulls, dragons, and monsters while some brighter colors like orange, red and pink would have painted the sun, a heart, and lips. Violet Leslie Ritchie stated she was not like the girls her age when she was five years old. Her parents thought she referred to her love for books instead of dolls and the inexplicable interest in her father's old and rusty car. Little did they know, Violet was different not because of these silly things, but because of her peculiar ability to levitate the family dog, Nancy, all across her room.
> 
> WARNINGS: 
> 
> This is a long-ass book, I'm going to be blunt about it. If you don't like slow burns or reading about character development throughout a very large amount of time, I recommend you find another story to read. This book contains slow burn, stupid actions, boys who act like boys, heavy house bashing, racist terms ( in the wizarding world ), LGBTQ+, girl x girl, cheating, bullying, death eaters, violence, so much angst honestly, death, werewolves, SMUT BETWEEN UNDERAGE PEOPLE, fluff and Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew ( yes, there is a warning for them ).

!! ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE !!

_For only time will tell us so_  
And love may grow for all we know

[ extract from For All We Know, The Carpenters ]

Many things could be labeled _normal_ in the late sixties.

It was normal to hear about the thick air you were going to be subjected to on an airplane because of the people smoking on it ( «Oh, stop making a fuss about it, Maggie. Smoking is great!» mister Ritchie said once before getting smacked on the back of his head. «Don't say these things in front of Violet, you twat!» miss Ritchie replied ). It was normal to eat ice-cream for breakfast, even though everyone knew that their children would make their day a living hell after being so full of sugar and, consequently, energy to spend on running, screaming, crying, and throwing tantrums. It was _very_ ( emphasis on that very, mind you ) normal to hear mothers scream while doing a painful at-home permanent just because they wanted nice curls and were too stubborn to actually seek someone who could do it professionally. It was like they wanted to suffer and since they wrapped the rollers so tight around their, now, frail hair, it was not a surprise to see disastrous results. It was normal to drink and drive, play hockey without a helmet, and straighten your hair with an iron. 

What was not normal was what was happening in Violet Ritchie's room during a strangely cold night of Summer in 1968. She does not remember the exact date ( who would? ), but, still to this day, Violet clearly remembers everything being _normal_ up to that evening. She woke up at seven-thirty in the morning, a little bit early for a child but who cares, ate the cereals her mother, Margaret Eva Ritchie, already set up on the table for her with such care and love and then went off to do what _normal_ children do when they are free. These included tons of fun activities for a child of Violet's age, such as skateboarding down the road, screaming together to draw attention, play with some dolls, and running so fast just to fall and blame the most picked-on kid of the street ( Violet felt bad about telling her parents that Timothy Powell ate all the candies on Halloween, but the face he made was priceless and she laughed about it for a week straight - of course, she apologized for her behavior ). It was safe to say that, at the end of the day, she was thoroughly spent and was longing for her bed. As a matter of fact, she was so tired that she decided to skip dinner. And the menu that night was flawless with hamburgers and fries. 

But, _frick_ , the family dog decided to not let her sleep. Even though she loved her dog, she just would not stand the constant barking Nancy was doing. How could a dog be so adorable and annoying at the same time? She tried everything: she put her pastel pink pillow over her head to cover her ears, she dove into the covers for the same purpose, she locked her windows to try and block the noise but not once one of her attempts succeded. So, what can a child do? Violet was definitely too tired to get up again, go downstairs, and try to calm down Nancy so she thought about calling one of her parents. But then, she remembered two things: first thing first, if there was something that Richard Rodney Ritchie ( «They called me triple R, it was rather cool», «It was not dear, they called you like that because you can't exactly pronounce Rs» ) absolutely loathed was being interrupted while eating and second, her parents obviously thought nothing was wrong with Nancy's behavior, so why bother? This was her punishment for making fun of Timothy after she promised not to do it again, it was crystal clear in her eyes that kerma... kaerma... that funny thing Clara was telling her friends about was attacking her this time. So, she accepted her fate and stared at the ceiling that her cousin painted three days ago. Now that she looked at it, Gavin did a terrible job. Violet could see bits of her old ceiling and more than a constellation, it seemed like someone vomited milk on a black canvas. She was definitely not satisfied, she wanted stars, and planets to gaze at, not some white dots when said dots were even supposed to be yellow. It was a shame, really, she almost missed the cream and boring color she had on before. At least, that made sense in her _normal_ looking house. 

Oh, finally, Nancy stopped barking. Violet almost cried out of happiness when she didn't hear anymore that noise she came to hate with all her being and she said something she heard her father pronounce when he was happy that shall not be repeated. She did not know what it meant, but Violet was wise enough to understand that it was something private that should be said only on the right occasion. And it was definitely the right occasion! She wondered why Nancy stopped her insanely annoying barking so suddenly, but it was never good to dwell on things like that one so she sighed, closed her eyes, and turned to the right.

She was welcomed with a lick on her face. Violet scrunched up her nose and tried to send her dog away with her hand, but it was like she couldn't quite touch her. So, ready to send Nancy off and try and enjoy a good night of very deserved sleep, Violet opened her eyes and... the dog was levitating. That was _not normal,_ that was not safe, she must have been dreaming. No logical explanation came to her mind as to why the window was open after she clearly recalled her closing it and as to why her dog was floating in the air with a dumb look on her face. So, when she came up with nothing at all, she did the smartest thing out of them all. 

She let out a piercing scream. 

She screamed so loud that she bet her neighbors thought something was wrong and were about to call the police. She heard the frantic steps of her parents going upstairs and then her door jolted open and both Mister and Miss Ritchie appeared, both equally disheveled and rather scared about what they just heard. It was about two seconds later that Maggie, the fearless, and Robbie, the coward, noticed their dog wiggling her puffy tail while completely floating.

«Oh, for the love of a face like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle. What in the bloody hell is that?»

«Our, our dog is... up there»

«I can fucking see it, Maggie. Nancy is fucking floating in our fucking child's bedroom»

«Don't use that language!»

«I use whatever fucking language I want to! This is insane, I must be sleeping right now, otherwise, I would think this was bloody...

✩ ˚ ➴ ｡ ⋆ ༉ ‧ ₊ ✧ ˚ . ⋆ ｡ ༉ ˚ ₊ . ༄:

...Magic!» Richard Ritchie smiled widely at her wife and only daughter. «Can you believe it exists, Maggie? And our daughter is a witch!» he drank from his cup of tea. «We should celebrate the first witch in the family, we are so lucky, don't you think darling?». Richard could not stop the river of words his mouth was sharing, too excited to stop and thinking about something else. He reckoned he had never felt so proud of his daughter's successes because, _yes_ , being a magical folk ( something that wasn't up to anyone ) was the greatest thing Violet could've pulled off. 

Three days earlier - and one week, one day and twelve hours after _Nancy's fiasco_ \- a woman whose appearance was quite strange and obviously different from what the Ritchies were used to, showed up at their doorstep and asked, _demanded_ , to speak with _Miss Ritchie,_ at least that was how the lady called her. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie ( again, as the witch called them ) were a little bit hesitant but at soon as the stranger took a slim wood stick from the right pocket of the red cloak she was sporting, everything in Richard's mind started to make sense. Everyone in that room could've sworn to have seen the eyes of the only man there light up as he dragged her wife out of the kitchen and smiled widely at his offspring - later on, Violet would find out from her mother that he jumped on the couch like a child. 

After all the lectures on how it was definitely not a good idea to talk to someone she did not know, Violet kept quiet and tried to not look at the woman and to not gaze at the way she seemed to produce an aura of calmness. She, instead, looked at her feet and became suddenly embarrassed of her bunny slippers that seemed so cool the day she bought them. Now, everything made her feel inferior to that severe-looking woman that was probably waiting for her to say something, anything. The young lady continued to keep her mouth shut and to avoid any type of eye contact for quite some time before the older woman let out a scoff and sat _not-that-elegantly_ on one of that mint chairs that Margaret was so in love with. 

«You muggle-born, all the same» she muttered under her breath while looking at her intently. Violet felt her stare piercing her skin but still did not dare to look back at her. She was not a shy kid, but why would someone that old be so interested in a nine-year-old gal? «If I thought the last one was bad, you surely look worse to deal with» the woman rolled her eyes and tried to make herself comfortable. «Well, nice to meet you, Violet. Such a pompous name for a little thing like you, eh?». 

The child could tell that the stranger was trying to make her comfortable with small, and very awkward, talk and tried to list all the reasons why she was acting so odd, but she did not have luck with that. «I like it» she allowed herself to speak, thinking that if something were to happen, her parents were only one room away. 

«Well, we should respect everyone's preferences, I suppose» the woman commented. Then, she smiled, or at least it seemed like she wanted to smile, but it was like she was not used to. «I have not introduced myself yet. I am Judith McGonagall and I am here on behalf of the Ministry Of Magic, do you have any idea of what it could be?» Violet shook her head as one of her bushy eyebrows shot up, suddenly she was interested in what the old woman was saying ( Judith was not old, she was twenty-six and younger than her parents ). «I figured as much. Well just think about it like that, the Ministry Of Magic is something necessary to make the wizarding world work. I think that, by now, you have pretty much figured out that you possess something that other kids don't. Am I right or this is a shock for you like for the other kid? Let me know because if it's something new, I'd have to do twice the work» she spoke really fast but Violet had no trouble following her pace, after all, every single one of her friends spoke like that if not faster.

She stayed silent for a few seconds. Did she know that she had something that other kids did not have? She thought that Clara definitely could not do the same things Violet did otherwise she would only brag about it. And what about Timothy? Did the boy possess the same abilities as the young lady? Probably not, she declared in her mind. If Timothy did have that kind of powers, he would've probably just disappeared to not be bothered again ( poor kid ). But, she, oh, she had something more for sure. She started noticing after the night in her room that when her emotions were all over the place something out of the ordinary would happen. It wasn't anything major, but _it was_ something. She could make the lights flicker, her plate levitate a little bit, and, just once, her tap broke because she was angry at her mother. So: «Yeah, I know that something's off 'bout me»

«Off? _Off?_ » Judith was surprised at her choice of words. «The only thing off about you, it's your name young lady. Don't ever consider your powers as a _shitty_ thing. To your kind, they are a gift» the expression she was making almost made the child laugh, but she decided against it. «Muggles would pay to have what you possess, and you get it for free. Ungrateful»

«What's a _maggle_?»

«It's "muggle", dearest, and your parents are muggles. It means that they are not wizards like you and me» _Wizards. She was a witch._ «Oh, don't look at me like that. Yes, wizards exist as magic does, _yada yada yada._ Can we skip this part, it's boring»

«Y-yeah, yeah. Yes we can go on»

Judith smiled again or, _ergh_ , bared her white teeth. «Wonderful» she clapped her hands and stood up. «Now, I think you would like to know why I am here. Well, well, well I shall tell you» she cleared her throat. «As I said, I am here on behalf of the Ministry of Magic to help you acknowledge the fact that you are, indeed, a witch, _and we can this scratch off the list_ , and to illustrate to you the importance of keeping it a secret from muggles»

The last part left Violet a little bit confused. «But you said that my father and mother were muggles, so they cannot know about this?»

«Don't be silly, they are your parents, they're bound to know. Otherwise, how could we explain to them why you're off for nine months as soon as you'll be eleven?»

«But I am not going anywhere»

«Oh yes, you are. That's the best part. Obviously, the Ministry can't just let you wander off with your powers out of control. You would cause havoc and hurt people. And that's why, as soon as you'll be eleven, you will be enrolled in Hogwarts, a school for magical folks». She inched closer «It's like a muggle school, with professors and everything, but instead of... what do you do in muggle school?» Violet tried to answer, but she was cut off. «It does not matter. As I was saying, you will be able to study every Ministry approved part of the wondrous world of magic in a span of seven years» Judith straightened her back and shrugged her shoulders. «You will meet young wizards and witches just like you and you'll even meet my older sister, Minerva. She's a teacher, a good one, _but don't tell her that._ And...»

It was like Violet could not scratch the smile off her face. Everything Judith was telling her sounded so amazing that she felt ready to go to Hogwarts the next day. She thought that it was a shame to only be nine, she'd have to wait two years to experience the things the witch was still listing. She imagined herself surrounded by magic and the child believed she would do great things because she was already so eager to fully embrace what, or rather, who she really was. It wasn't like she did not fit with the children she was friends with, but sometimes it was hard to conceal her desire to escape from that little town she was confined in. She did not want to be a teacher or a secretary like Clara. Violet wanted to be free, to fly above the clouds and dive into the ocean. And maybe, just maybe, that Hogwarts Judith was rambling about was what she needed to achieve her goals.

«Just one more thing, do y'know a kid named Timothy Powell? It says that he knocked out his mother with a sneeze. A powerful one, I reckon»

Violet just snorted. 


	2. FIRST YEAR: Take me Home, Country Roads

!! ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE !!

_Country roads, take me home  
_To the place, I belong

[ extract from Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver ]

It was hard to focus on her emotions when the car that was taking her on a new adventure wobbled in such a distracting way. The streets of London, which the Ritchie family had reached after no less than three hours on the road that consisted in singing songs and arguing over three bathroom breaks, were full of people, taxis, and the noise they caused made it impossible for the young girl to formulate coherent thoughts. She believed that it was her imagination that was picturing that amount of life because she had never witnessed such vitality before. She found herself smiling when she spotted a family of four running on the sidewalk to catch up with a taxi and, maybe, take a lift where they needed to. There were also people screaming at each other at the corner of the busy street they were on, but the child immediately understood by the grin on their faces that they were just kidding and not fighting as she first guessed.

Truth to be told, Violet was glad to be focused on something else. She wasn't thinking about what was expecting her because she was a little bit frightened by the enormous importance of it all. Of course, she would've never admitted it, she was not a baby who cried and got scared over these silly things. Except that, maybe - _just maybe_ \- this was not a silly thing. This was her future and she only hoped that it was ready to welcome her with open arms. Being eleven was nothing for some kids but for her, it meant facing what her fate had in store for her. For two long years, she awaited the moment she could blow out eleven candles of her cake and finally experience what Judith McGonagall explained to her the summer of '69. She kept in touch with the older witch in the span of those two years, mostly because she enjoyed the way Judith's owl, whose name was Sinatra, flew graciously in her living room with a letter attached to his right foot. It was her who helped Violet to get all her things from Diagon Alley and the child could not have thanked her enough for her volunteering to be her chaperone to that magical place - it was not like she did not trust her parents, but she knew that they would only just be mesmerized by that small village and wouldn't help her to buy what she needed -. Diagon Alley was the core of the wizarding London. What was crazy about this place was the amount of space it took and the ability to not be seen by those who, by now, Violet had started calling muggles. 

It was thanks to Judith that she obtained her first, and probably last, wand from Ollivander's. Her wand was made of dogwood wood, with a dragon heartstring core, 14″ in length, and unyielding flexibility. She was embarrassed to realize that she did not know what those things meant, so she tried to hide her ignorance by nibbling her hangnails and nodding at whatever the, very, old man was saying to her. She found herself enthralled by what he was explaining and she was sure to have spent at least one hour and a half in that shop. Violet watched with interest as wizards and witches of her age took with them the wand that destiny assigned them and she discovered peculiar things about her own one when the store was empty for at least two minutes. That was something hypnotizing in the way Garrick Ollivander spoke and moved, his silvery eyes seemed to bore themselves into the souls of his costumers and Violet thought many times that maybe it wasn't the wand who chose its wizard, but it rather was Ollivander who already knew what wand to assign. He was an exceptional judge of character and it was no wonder that, most of the time, the first wand he picked up from his collection to give to a young child was the one that said child would bring at Hogwarts. 

Unfortunately, at some point that day, she had to leave the caring man to take care of the other items that were listed in the letter from Hogwarts she received. Obviously, she did not want to leave Garrick, but he had promised her to write and to explain to her more things about the wands he made, so she left with a reassured heart and a kind smile. Judith was waiting outside the shop with a bored look on her wrinkles-free face and what seemed to be three heavy books in her arms. Violet knew that she must've been annoyed with her so she smiled sheepily and thanked her for the time she was losing trying to help her. The child did not know why Judith was so adamant to assist her, this wasn't a part of her job, but she accepted the aid with gratefulness and she even enjoyed herself when the witch thought it would be funny to pick up a fight with some wizards who were looking at everyone like scum. That was what Violet liked about Judith: she was not afraid to speak her mind and the time spent with her also meant that she was going to learn new colorful words which were not appropriate for a young lady like her. 

Judith McGonagall could be described in three words and they were simple: cheeky, hot-headed, and hardworking. Violet couldn't recall one time when her place of work called her and she didn't answer. She understood a little though, the child imagined that, apart from the sister she knew she had, the witch didn't really have any close family. She hadn't told her of a son or a husband, so it must have meant that she didn't have those. Or that she was an introvert, but Violet knew for a fact that this was not the case. Another thing the young lady learned was that she wasn't as old as she first thought when she first met her - it did seem like her reality was a little bit twisted. Her skin was pale but not pale enough to spot her veins, the lips were thin and always covered by a deep red lipstick that Violet once tried and was forced to take off by her father. Judith was not the definition of common beauty, her hair was shorter than normal standards and was never combed or tied up. Even though she wore typical magical clothes while at work, she did not shy away from muggle fashion and often appreciated the jeans flared trousers that were so trendy in those years. The only single thing she always wore was a large pendant whose shape was similar to a circle. There were three red-ish spheres on the top and one on the bottom of the circle. Violet thought it was fascinating even though she would've never put it on as Judith did. 

«We are here, Vi» a soft voice distracted her from her memories. From the back of the car, the child turned to her mother who was smiling excitedly at her. «Are you ready?»

«Maybe» 

✩ ˚ ➴ ｡ ⋆ ༉ ‧ ₊ ✧ ˚ . ⋆ ｡ ༉ ˚ ₊ . ༄:

Timothy Powell was a strange kid. There was no doubt in that but, at least, they had something in common that was not easy to ignore. So, he and Violet teamed up and decided to, at least, embark on this new journey together. It wasn't comfortable at all. Both children tried to make conversation, but all Violet could think of was making fun of the boy at every chance she could and stopped mid-sentence, guilty was eating her little soul. She knew it was not a good thing, but everyone was doing it, so she just followed suit. For a child, she wasn't very gullible, but she wanted to fit in and the only thing that made the kids of the block bond was teasing the loner boy that lived at the end of the street. She was sorry, very sorry, and she was happy when he asked her if she wanted to share a carriage on the train to Hogwarts with her, but that did not stop Violet from avoiding Timothy's eyes when he tried to speak with her. He was a good lad, always studying and helping his mother with his two younger brothers. He did not grow up with a father, but every adult on that street knew that Miss. Powell was an exceptional mother that would've done anything for her kids, so that wasn't why he was picked on. It was the way he behaved when in a large group of people that made the kids laugh about him. He did not enjoy being the center of attention and several times he would just run home to not be mocked. Violet blushed when she remembered how hard she was laughing when she saw him trip while running. 

«Are you excited?» the boy tried again to engage in conversation. 

«Why are you being nice?» Violet said at the same time. The question had been burning on the tip of her tongue from the moment they boarded on the train, which meant that she spent the last twenty minutes in agony. 

Timothy adjusted the hair that fell on his brunette eyes and cleared his throat before giving her a shy smile showing his slightly crooked teeth. «You are the only friend I've got here»

«Are we friends?» Violet was confused, she never thought of Timothy as her friend, obviously because she was the one who tormented him with her friends. «I did not know» she was being sincere. 

«You don't want to be my friend, that's fine, don't worry. I'll-»

The young lady was quick to stop him from standing up and leaving the carriage for good. She would not pass up the opportunity of apologizing and making a friend on her first day. «I did not mean that, Timothy. It's just that... I've always made fun of you»

His eyes showed a kindness that Violet had only seen in the eyes of her parents. «I know» he quietly laughed «But that's behind me. I want to start over if that's okay with you»

«You should be the one to be okay with it, not me»

«And I am» he said reassuringly enough, «Mum told me that you tried to speak with me the day after Miss McGonagall visited us, but I was busy. You never came again, why?»

Violet felt her cheeks burning and she was glad her skin was a little bit darker, so the boy in front of her could not see her embarrassment. «I thought that it was an excuse and I did not want to bother you» she admitted. 

«Wait, are you joking?» said Timothy, incredulous. 

«Not really» the girl responded, now trying to smooth the creases on her purple dress. «You know, I thought you hated me and I don't like when people don't like me, but at the same time you would've had a very good reason to hate me»

«You're rambling. I don't hate you, I've never had. I mean you could've been nicer...» the boy spoke with a hint of mischief in his voice.

Violet pointed a finger at him «Stop that!» she said, laughing a bit now, she was more at ease. It seemed like her apology wasn't needed and she thanked whatever being granted that luxury because she wasn't one to apologize. «So... friends?» it was worth a shot trying. 

The girl was relieved to see Timothy nod. «Friends»

They both tried to shake hands but were suddenly interrupted by a loud noise that came across as if someone just crashed into the closed door of their carriage. They found fast enough that the impression they had was true and looked at the boy who was massaging his forehead and grimacing just a tad. The stranger closed his eyes and shook his head, maybe trying to dissolve the pain he was feeling, before straightening up and attempting to look okay while he opened the glass door. It happened so quickly that neither Violet nor Timothy had the time to open the door for the boy and help him. Obviously, the lad did not want to make a fool of himself, so they stayed quiet about the little show they just witnessed. 

«Uhm, I, could I- could I stay with you?» he stuttered. The boy's voice was tender and high-pitched and the only lady did not know if it was his real voice or if it was like that because he was just nervous. Nonetheless, she nodded and smiled at him. _Making one more friend did not hurt anyone._ «Great, thank you, the other carriages are so full, I thought I would be spending the entire ride in the corridors»

The boy's appearance was the typical one of a British lad. She could see that he was taller than her, not by much though, his skin was fair and taken care of, the eyebrows were full and he had fleshy lips. He was slightly plump and anyone could've compared his hair to a blonde mess even though Violet saw a bunch of hair gel coating it, but it obviously did not work. He wore a cashmere sweater that was too hot for the season they were in, but he probably was sensitive to the cold because that was a windy day. 

The new entry sat at Timothy's left. «Nice to meet you, the name's Peter Pettigrew»

Violet could see that her newfound friend was a little bit uncomfortable and tried to speak first to let the boy decide if he was going to talk or not. «I'm Violet, I know, kind of a grown-up name and this is Timothy»

«Did you two know each other?»

«Yeah, we live on the same street, so we thought it would be funny to be together in this». Violet liked the boy, he was trying to know them without pressuring much and she was silently thankful for his discreet behavior. «Did you meet someone else already?» she inquired. 

Peter denied with his head and then spoke: «Well, I know someone, but I really don't wanna share a carriage with them. They're older anyway, so it's no use» he explained. «And they're cousins of mine, so I know they're going to say everything I do to my mum»

Timothy was taken aback. «Cousins? They're your family then» he stated the obvious. 

«Yeah, from my mum's side everyone has been in this school» The girl thought about it for a few seconds. How did she not realize before that magic did not just ignite in casual children? There must be families of wizards out there or the magical spark would've to find itself in a small number of people and, from what she gathered, there were a lot of wizards and witches of this train, let alone in all Britain. «Oh, you two are muggle-borns, eh?»

«Uh, yes, I think so» she said, hoping to have understood what Peter meant. «Both my parents are muggles - _she marked the word_ -. Bit of a nasty shock when they found out about me». Violet thought about the look of worry on her mother's face and her father's excited eyes. 

«I sneezed and I knocked my mum out. Is that what you mean by a nasty shock?» Timothy mumbled and winked at the girl. 

Peter clapped his hands and laughed. His laugh was so contagious that even Violet snorted while the other boy started chuckling. «That's so cool!». 


	3. FIRST YEAR: You've got a Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To write Professor McGonagall's speech that you'll read in this chapter, I took inspiration from Chapter Seven: The Sorting Hat of Harry Potter And The Philosopher Stone. I also decided not to include the Sorting Hat's song because I am no songwriter and I did not want to ruin it. Also, I am so sorry if these chapters are boring you, but this is just the start.

!! ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE !!

_Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend  
_When people can be so cold

[ extract from You've got a friend, Carole King ]

«D'ya need help?»

The imposing presence of the castle had been able to capture the attention of little Violet to such an extent that she stopped whatever she was doing and was left speechless. She was sure that she had never seen such a spectacle: the stars traced the outline of the structure like a caress of a tender mother and the lights lit inside reflected undisturbed on the flat surface of what she had learned to be a lake. Peter had revealed its name to her shortly before and the girl could not help but think that _Black Lake_ perfectly suited what she was admiring. It turned out impossible to distinguish the creatures who, surely, lived in that water strangely darker than normal and found herself thinking that if wizards were real, how far could reality itself be pushed? Perhaps beneath the calm surface, majestic and monstrous creatures had found a home. Sirens, maybe some dinosaurs that the muggles had believed extinct for centuries. What if bedtime stories were just a half-open door to the world that she was just about to meet?

It was not difficult to understand why wizards and witches decided not to share their knowledge with others. As much as many might have considered it an act of selfishness, Violet was trying to look beyond that appearance and investigate the choice to stay hidden. Magical abilities could have helped the Muggle world, yes, but no one could have ensured an improvement. She wished she could share what she had with the rest of the world, but what would they do to her? Looking back on the past, probably wizards and witches would find themselves submissive overnight to something greater than themselves. And then, it was very clear why the magical folks swore to secrecy. The hunger for freedom and the desire to discover the world without chains had been stronger than anything else and until then Violet had never fully understood this concept.

Of course, no one would have imagined that from such a child's mind, deep, almost adult ideas could form. It wasn't her place, really, but she finally felt like she fully fitted somewhere and couldn't help but dig deep into the little information she discovered. 

«Uh?» she finally answered the question that a boy asked her. 

He looked annoyed by the amount of time she took to actually respond, but he repeated his question nonetheless. He probably thought that she needed a moment to take it all in. «I said, do you need some help?»

Violet shrugged her shoulders. «Why would I need it?» she inquired. They weren't doing anything, they were just standing on the coast of the lake. After the train had reached its destination, a great number of students had spread to the small station. It was evident that most people already knew how to behave, but for those who, like her, had just arrived, a man of gigantic dimensions had welcomed them and brought them to the Black Lake. It was at that moment that she had allowed herself to detach herself from the surrounding reality and travel to her new little world. _Maybe she shouldn't have done it in hindsight_. She quickly noted that many students had left already and she realized that she must have missed something, too hypnotized to hear what had been said. 

«You didn't listen to a word the big man said» the lad exclaimed, the smallest grin on his face. «How do you reckon we reach the castle?». His accent was so different from hers yet she understood every word. It was so clear and posh and that's why she thought he must've been a part of some rich family or something like that. «Are you still with me?» he waved a hand in front of her face «Earth to... well, to you»

The young lady blinked a few times. «I thought we would be walking?» she wasn't sure about what she just said at all and her answer came off more like a question rather than an answer.

«That's a good one!» he snickered. Violet did not know if she was being mocked or not. «If you'd just look better, you'd see that there are some little boats magically floating towards the castle» he pointed out a few of them which were already crossing the lake. «That's how we move today». He looked at her again, the girl saw amusement in his eyes and it got on her nerves just a tad. «I know you did not listen, but didn't you read Hogwarts: A History?»

She had no idea what he was talking about. «Yeah, yeah, I just- I must've forgotten it»

«You so didn't read it»

«Did too»

The boy adjusted his hair. «I admire the spirit, but you aren't a good liar»

«I am not lying!» Violet continued, she did not want to appear like a stupid kid, but the fact that he caught on to her lie did make it difficult. «Now, stop bugging me» she looked away from him. 

She heard him chuckle and prepare for a smart answer, but they were thankfully interrupted by a dark blonde-haired boy who seemed stressed. «Violet, I searched for you everywhere! C'mon we don't want to be late»

Violet did not say goodbye to the boy and followed Timothy with a small grimace on her face.

✩ ˚ ➴ ｡ ⋆ ༉ ‧ ₊ ✧ ˚ . ⋆ ｡ ༉ ˚ ₊ . ༄:

She did not believe it was possible to overcome the feeling of amazement she felt looking at the castle from the outside, but she was wrong. _She was so wrong_. Ancient walls of ochre color and majestic height accompanied students from centuries to their destination with a grace that was difficult to assign to pieces of structure. The endless number of paintings attached to these walls followed the lads with vivacity and commented on their nervousness with a certain haziness that, in some way, more than giving discomfort, had been able to calm Violet. No one told her that she would be the protagonist of a book with fantastic and mystical settings, she had always believed to be a spectator of the perfect life others had. Once part of the initiation ceremony was completed - Timothy had read _Hogwarts: A History,_ he knew what they would do - and crossed the mysterious waters of the Black Lake, the young people had been piled up on the stairs leading to a solemn and serious-looking door. They had spent no less than ten minutes there and had heard the swarm of voices coming from the students of other years who would square them once crossed that threshold.

Violet had never been a patient little girl and, never more than at that moment, she was eager to meet the curious eyes of other people and to understand what it really meant to be part of something. She perfectly understood that her emotions were not precisely the same as those of her year. All she had to do was look at Timothy and see his face look paler than usual to detect that the anxiety was eating him or Peter and his ruined fingernails that he had begun to eat from the train ride. She met the look of the boy with whom she had spoken just before and the confidence in his eyes was nothing more than a wall to hide a concern that, she was sure, everyone could recognize. She would have liked to know more about each of them, but she had her whole life ahead of her to meet her fellow travelers. Maybe it would be in Hogwarts that she would make friends of a lifetime, or, if in the end, she would simply be able to discern the good from the bad.

But the time to think about this kind of thing was certainly not that one, not when the door that she had previously observed with such attention had opened and had revealed a glimmer of that room where they were to enter in shortly. She couldn't see much, just something very bright, because a tall, slender figure had blocked her sight. As soon as she was able to take better in who had just appeared before her eyes, Violet immediately understood who it was. Perhaps because of her elegant gait or her build or, again, because of the distinct black hair she had tied in a tight bun, the young girl had seen in her traits something that only one person she knew possessed. That woman, who was wearing an emerald green cloak, was definitely Judith's older sister, Minerva McGonagall. She was not sure how it was possible, but Violet had imagined this appearance for the witch who was said to be severe, but, at the same time, provided with an enviable maternal instinct. She saw the witch move towards them with a parchment in her hands - Violet also noticed that she had slender fingers - and the square glasses she sported seemed to give her an even more severe look. She didn't turn to look at her classmates, but she was sure she heard someone swallowing, more agitated than normal. What caught the attention, however, had been a kind of button that looked tremendously like the necklace that Judith always took with her. That was probably why she was so attached to it. Despite all the negative, mostly funny, things she told her about her sister, Judith still had a good relationship with her and loved her from the bottom of her heart. 

The Professor cleared her throat, she had a prim expression. «Welcome to Hogwarts, young wizards and witches». Although even before she began to speak silence reigned among the children, now the same silence was full of fear and tension. «The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your Houses». Violet knew something about this, but she wasn't exactly aware of the importance of this rite of passage everyone must go through. «The House you will be sorted into will be the same for the seven years you will spend here at the school and it will be like your family. You will study, spend your free time, eat and sleep with your fellow housemates» her Scottish accent was not the same as Judith's, which was much less polished, maybe because she had to speak clearly in front of her students to make them fully understand what she was saying. «There are four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each one of you will be sorted in the House they belong to and you shall never forget that every single House has produced outstanding witches and wizards. During your time here at Hogwarts, you will be rewarded or punished by giving or reducing points that will help your House to win the House Cup. I hope each one of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours». Violet did not know the criteria for The Sorting, she just hoped that whatever method they were going to use was effective and did not place her where she did not belong. She also hoped to be housemates with Timothy or Peter, or both if she was lucky enough. «Smarten yourself up and follow me, please» the witch finished her speech and urged them to go after her. 

Violet felt the blood pumping into her veins from the excitement and soon found herself smiling with thirty-two teeth at Timothy who did his best to reciprocate, but from him more than a smile, she got a grimace almost of pain. If it didn't bother her to have all the attention on her, she would have jumped and let go of a little cry of happiness for all the positive emotions that were going through her. Suddenly, she _actually_ felt something go through her, and gasps of fear and surprise surrounded her. She turned and spotted something pearly-white and transparent and that looked like a human, just... without flesh and bones. These were _ghosts._ Everyone had stopped and Professor McGonagall looked like she wanted to say something, but was keeping it for herself to let the new students know about the ghost's existence. Violet was surprised at their sight but found no reason as to why they should've not existed. After all, after wizards and witches, ghosts were the most normal thing. She heard them laughing and talking among themselves, but they did not stop to say hello, except one - which seemed like a friar - who waved and smiled in their direction before floating away. 

«The Sorting Ceremony is about to start» the sharpness of the witch's voice was unmistakable. «Now, form a line and don't get distracted». The students did as they were told and began to follow her again. 

The majestic door opened itself in front of them and, while her vision was a little bit blocked by the strange large head of her first friend, Violet swore to take a photograph of that place immediately once she could. It wasn't like these types of rooms did not exist in the Muggle world, but the magic that the room itself was channeling was greater than anything. It was light up by candles floating in mid-air over four enormous tables that only differed by the colors the students had on their uniforms. On the tables, she spotted gold plates and goblets, but she saw no food and her interest grew by the seconds. The ceiling was the strangest thing she had ever seen, it was like it was bewitched to the one outside and the clear night was being projected into the hall they were in. In the center of the room was a nave that led to a fifth table where the professors and the Headmaster were sitting. But that was not the most interesting aspect: at the end of the nave, a wood stool was waiting for them, and over the stool, there was an old looking hat which seemed to have no purpose. It was patched, frayed, and also extremely dirty now that she was closer. When they stopped, Violet noticed that the attention was not on them anymore, the other people in the Hall were looking at the hat now. 

She should've guessed it, but she did not. The Hat suddenly twitched and came to life. A reap near the brim opened and formed the shape of a mouth and began to sing a song she did not recognize. Violet paid special attention to the words the Hat was saying and she was able to retain some information on the Houses that she was going to be sorted into. It was said that Gryffindor was the House of the brave of heart, Hufflepuff the House of the true of heart, Ravenclaw valued the mind over the heart, and Slytherin praised those who were ambitious and cunning. She looked at Peter and saw that he was finally relaxing his shoulders and she took a deep breath to calm her own heart. As soon as the song finished, Professor McGonagall took place beside the Hat and started speaking again: «When I call your name, you will put on the Hat and sit on the stool to be sorted». She opened the parchment that Violet saw in her hands before. «Anderson Penelope»

A plump girl emerged from the badly made line and Violet noticed that her skin was as green as it could get, the poor girl was probably going to vomit after this. She sat on the stool and the Sorting Hat didn't even touch her head before screaming « _Ravenclaw!_ ». A cheer erupted from the second table on the left that let her know that that was the House's one. Violet heard some money being given to, probably, the rightful winner of a bet. 

«Atkinson Celeste». Her blonde hair seemed white when the brown Hat was placed on her tiny and full-of-hair head. « _Slytherin!_ » another cheer, this time louder, erupted from the farthest table on the left where green ties caught Violet's eyes.

«Austen Hugo» « _Ravenclaw!_ »

«Babington Matilda». Violet swore she heard snickering when her surname was revealed. « _Hufflepuff!_ ». Finally, the Hufflepuffs joined the happiness. Only the Gryffindor table remained in religious silence.

«Black Sirius». During the ceremony, after the first one had been sorted in their own house, the students of the other years had done nothing but comment and talk to each other. Suddenly, however, it was as if everyone had lost the ability to speak and were watching with interest that boy who now nervously climbed the steps to sit on the stool. It was the same boy that bothered her before, she could've recognized his black and long hair everywhere. His facial structure was hard, but the mischief in his eyes did not match the sharpness of his features. He was just a little boy that was trying to look confident in front of hundreds of boys and girls that were ready to make fun of him. But, Violet thought, the silence she was meeting was strange. 

While the Hat was being placed on Sirius' head, Violet couldn't help herself. « _Psst_ , Peter, hey» she called. «Why is everyone so quiet?» she whispered. 

The boy tried to be as silent as possible. «That's Sirius Black, he's part of the Black Family, one the Sacred Twenty-Eight» she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. «Oh, right. Well, he's a pureblood and every single one of his family members has been sorted in Slytherin, so it's strange to see the Hat not shouting this». Peter paused «His name is already written on the Slytherin table, I tell ya. Poor boy». Violet was even more confused. «The Slytherins do not have a good reputation, Violet. They are pureblood freaks and I bet everything I've got that he is the same as his family» he finished and composed himself. The girl was skeptical about what she was just told, what did _pureblood freaks_ mean?

Something happened: the Hat let out a loud belly laugh and the boy under it flinched as the Professor did. This told Violet that it did not happen as often as she believed. «You will not believe this. This boy is a _Gryffindor!_ ». The silence was deafening, Sirius' eyes diverted towards the Slytherin table only to meet harsh and angry glares and Violet saw terror leave his eyes, only to be replaced with triumph. Professor McGonagall gave him a gentle nudge and removed the Hat from his head, but when the Gryffindor started walking, it was like his legs forgot their purpose. The Gryffindor table was not cheering yet and Violet was growing anxious for the boy. She imagined how he must feel and hoped that his housemates would accept him. Then from the sea of students donning red and gold, two figures stood up and began clapping. Their hair were as red as it could get and they were identical. They started whooping and soon they were joined by the other Gryffindors. Sirius Black had found his place. 

After this twist of events, the Sorting Ceremony continued without any problems and Violet was waiting for her turn with a stomachache. There weren't that many of them, but the time seemed to flow slower than usual. She heard that an Evans Lily was sorted into Gryffindor together with Lupin Remus and McKinnon Marlene but her attention spiked up when Peter was called upon the stool to be sorted. 

«Violet» she heard Timothy whisper and she looked at him, intrigued. «I just wanted to say that if, if we aren- are not sorted into the same House, I will still be your friend» he said with a shy smile. His heart was made of gold, he was such a special boy, and Violet beat herself up in her mind for not noticing this sooner. 

«Of course, Tim» she said while the Sorting Hat, after no less than six minutes, loudly screamed Gryffindor. «I think you're next». 

He wasn't next, another Gryffindor by the name of Potter James was sorted before him, but when his name was called, Violet saw him tremble with anxiety. The Hat, just as it happened to Penelope, did not wait to sort him and he was sent to a cheering Hufflepuff table with a reassuring grin on his face. The girl was happy for him, he looked happy so she was happy too. Now, only a few people stood beside her and she closed her eyes and listened to other names. 

Pratt... Pymms... Quelch... Reynolds... Rice... «Ritchie Violet!». Professor McGonagall finally called her and that was when she opened her eyes. She smiled and strutted confidently towards the stool and sat upon it without actually meeting the other student's eyes. This was her moment, after all, she did not want to share it, even if with Peter or Timothy like they had done with her. The Hat was placed on her. 

«Hello, young lady» a soft voice entered her head. She wasn't expecting it so she jumped a bit before adjusting and sitting better. «What do we have here... _oh!_... a very curious mind I see, maybe a Ravenclaw then. But there's a passion, something more, that does not belong to the Ravens. This passion is going to consume you, little one, I ass- _mh,_ you don't care, eh? You'll let this flame engulf you if it means being yourself. _Interesting, interesting._ You're very intelligent and witty, I can tell, and that's why you're not impulsive, but sometimes you think impulsiveness is necessary. _If_ I didn't know better, I could see Gryffindor traits in you. But this, this is very far from a Lion», Violet let out a sigh, she was starting to get impatient. «Let me do my work, little one. Don't hurry perfection... You know what. I know exactly where to place you, now. As I said, you wouldn't do well as a Lion and I see clearly that you prefer Snakes so better be 

_Slytherin!_ »


End file.
